The Kansas City Chiefs received a devastating piece of injury news on Monday regarding one of their rookie defenders following Sunday’s dominating 31-0 shutout win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
First-year defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. This isn’t the news the Chiefs nor their fans wanted to hear following an impressive victory after Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that the rookie would be undergoing an MRI on Monday.
Without the second-round pick on the field, the interior of the Chiefs’ defensive line looks scarce.
Former All-Pro Chris Jones still leads the way, but the idea of depending on Jerry Tillery and Derrick Nnadi to step up in Norman-Lott’s place is a tall task. Therefore, the Chiefs might have to consider making a trade for a veteran defensive tackle before the Nov. 4 deadline. Luckily, for them, the adequate option is available, and he’s on an expiring contract.
Browns DT Shelby Harris Should Be on Chiefs’ Radar Following Omarr Norman-Lott Injury
With the Tennessee Titans reportedly not trading Jeffrey Simmons (h/t @SleeperTitanUp), the Chiefs’ next best option at defensive tackle could be Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris. Harris is in the final year of a two-year, $9 million contract that he signed in 2024.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported last week that the Browns will listen to offers for the veteran defensive lineman. If you’re Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, and if you don’t love your options on the 53-man roster or practice squad, why not inquire to see what the Browns would want in return for Harris?
This season, the 34-year-old defensive tackle has 11 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a pass deflection in seven games. Harris has been more of a rotational defensive lineman playing 42% of snaps after playing 59% of snaps last season and starting in 13 games.
Harris will not offer much in terms of pass rushing, but he could help out in the run defense department. Following Week 7, the veteran defender owns 70.5 run defense and 73.1 tackling grades, per Pro Football Focus, which is not too shabby at his age — especially since they're noticeably better than last year's numbers (67.9 and 62.4, respectively).
The Chiefs will take a run stopper to pair alongside Jones, especially considering that Kansas City has allowed 105.7 yards per game (15th-most in the NFL) and 4.5 yards per carry. This wouldn’t be a huge needle mover for the Chiefs, but if all it takes is one of their fifth-round picks this year or a Day 3 pick in 2027, they should consider it.